Beth Israel logo

Beth Israel Synagogue
229 Murdock Ave.
Asheville, NC 28804
828-252-8431
Robert Cabelli, Rabbi

 
   

Weekly Parashat

 

 

 

Parashat Archive

  
Parashat Ekev  (August 4, 2007)  

  • (from USCJ Torah Sparks ) As he nears the end of his stewardship, Moses continues to address the Israelites. He cautions them that if they wish to reap the promised rewards of divine protection and the defeat of their enemies as they take possession of the Promised Land, they must abide by their covenantal commitment to God. If they worship other gods, or commit other lapses as defined by the covenant, it may lead to exile and/or destruction. It also would be a mistake to assume that personal or national success indicates that God always will support the Israelites, no matter how badly the nation behaves. Likewise, it would be arrogant to deduce that Israelite success attests to our own power.

     

    The Israelites’ behavior has made God angry many times, most notably in the incident of the golden calf, which resulted in the destruction of the original tablets of the Ten Commandments. After much supplication, God invited Moses to fashion a second set of tablets. Moses reviews this slice of history and others with an eye toward helping the Israelites to focus on their commitment to obey the divine commandments.  Israel is to maintain a special relationship with God. The gift of the Promised Land is contingent on Israel ’s continued faithfulness under the covenant.

     

    In this week’s Torah-portion we are told:

    Man does not live on bread alone; rather, man may live on anything the Lord decrees. (Deuteronomy 8:3)

    It is well known that Judaism expects us to recite blessings before and after we eat. The underlying rationale appears to be that we should cultivate an inner spirit of thankfulness for the divine gifts from which we benefit.  Food is deemed to be one of those gifts to us, for our enjoyment and sustenance.

    The Torah is specific about the requirement to express thanks to God after we consume the earth’s bounty:

     When you have eaten your fill, give thanks to the Lord your God for the good land which he has given you. (Deuteronomy 8:10)

        

Parashat Archive: